The Jewish Lobby Israel Needs
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jewish Daily Forward
by Akiva Eldar - (Opinion) November 9, 2007 - 5:51pm

The next few weeks may determine the future of Zionism. This is not an exaggeration. If the upcoming Annapolis peace conference ends the same way as the Camp David summit of 2000, the future of the Jewish state will be in jeopardy.

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Cheerleaders For Assassination
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Israel Policy Forum
by M.J. Rosenberg - (Opinion) November 9, 2007 - 5:46pm

Something terribly ugly is happening in Israel. It started during Yitzhak Rabin's term as prime minister when right-wing extremists and religious fanatics joined in calling for his death and it would seem to have culminated with his assassination. But the ugliness continues. Yigal Amir, Rabin's assassin, turned out to have been no "lone lunatic," no Lee Harvey Oswald or Sirhan Sirhan who acted for reasons that were perhaps psychological and not political.

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Palestinians Ease Demands For Conference
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Associated Press
by Josef Federman - November 9, 2007 - 5:45pm

Encouraged by a conciliatory speech by Israel's prime minister, Palestinian negotiators have eased their demands that an upcoming U.S.-hosted peace conference lay out a plan for statehood, officials said Thursday. The Palestinians said they were pleased with Israeli pledges to resume peace talks after the conference this month — and were now less concerned with a pre-summit understanding that had bogged down earlier negotiations.

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Israel And Palestinians Turn To U.s. As Talks Hit Snag
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Reuters
by Wafa Amr - November 9, 2007 - 5:43pm

Palestinian and Israeli negotiators are turning to U.S. mediators to bridge serious gaps in drafting a common approach to peace negotiations, officials on both sides said on Thursday. A senior Palestinian negotiator told Reuters the two sides sought U.S. intervention on Tuesday after negotiators failed to resolve differences over a document they hope to present at a conference in the coming weeks in Annapolis, Maryland, that aims to set terms for relaunching peace talks.

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Whose Road Map?
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post
by Jeff Halper - November 8, 2007 - 3:43pm

As did his pronouncements last August in Jericho, where Prime Minister Ehud Olmert indicated a willingness to withdraw from an area equivalent to 100% of the occupied territories, his latest declarations to the Saban Forum, in the presence of Condoleezza Rice and Tony Blair, sounded promising, even stirring.

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If Not Annapolis, Then What?
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz
(Editorial) November 8, 2007 - 3:42pm

Gideon Sa'ar, Likud's most fluent spokesman, believes that after Hamas took over Gaza, Israel should have understood the trap it had fallen into and "run for its life" instead of getting into another round of talks in Annapolis. The question is, of course, where does Likud want Israel to run to. Likud has no solution to the conflict with the Palestinians and has made do for 40 years with taking the wind out of the sails of every agreement.

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No Understanding For The Region
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jordan Times
November 8, 2007 - 3:41pm

Tuesday, BBC radio ran a fascinating interview with former US undersecretary for public diplomacy Karen Hughes. Among her briefs, Hughes was in charge of “promoting American values and confronting ideological support for terrorism.” She was the first person to hold such a position. The interview was interesting for one particular response.

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Barak Still Bears The Scars From Camp David
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Financial Times
by Tobias Buck - November 8, 2007 - 3:37pm

Even by the volatile standards of Israeli politics, the comeback of Ehud Barak has been a remarkable one. Ousted as prime minister in 2001 after the acrimonious failure of the Camp David peace talks, Mr Barak left the political stage for almost six years to pursue a career in business. Yet in June, Israel's most decorated soldier and former chief of staff was back, taking the helm of his centre-left Labour party and assuming the post of defence minister in the coalition government headed by Ehud Olmert.

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Push For Annapolis Summit Triggers
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Jewish Telegraphic Agency (JTA)
by Ron Kampeas - November 8, 2007 - 3:36pm

The buildup to the U.S.-backed Israeli-Palestinian summit to be convened later this month in Annapolis, Md., has set off a flurry of lobbying efforts throughout the Jewish community. A newly formed coalition of Orthodox and right-wing organizations dedicated to preserving Israeli sovereignty over all of Jerusalem held meetings last week in Washington with White House officials and members of both houses of Congress.

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Palestinian Mayors Lobby For Christian Support
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jewish Daily Forward
by Nathan Guttman - November 8, 2007 - 3:35pm

Facing the growing influence of Christian Zionists in the United States, the dwindling Christian minority in the Palestinian territories is making a renewed push to capture American hearts and minds. A delegation of Palestinian Christian mayors came to Washington last week on a lobbying mission, during which they argued the Palestinian cause. It was the first such mission ever.

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